Advertising device



vMay li"1,"l924.

Y c. A. HUGHEs ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed June23, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @WV/V4 May 27 1924. 1,495,518

4 C. A. HUGHES 5 y,

ADVERTISING DEVICE )I Filed June 23, 1925 2 Shleets-Sheet 2 S r/ n l@ -fL zal Patented May 27, 1924.

nutren TES PATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE A. HUGHES, 0F DANVILLE, VIRGINIA.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

Application led .Tune 23. 1923. Serial No. 647,233.

tion.

r1`his invention relates to advertising devices, and has particular reference to devices of that kind commonly known as changeable sign exhibitors.

The primary object of the invention is to provide novel and improved means for Suocessively moving a plurality of signs to different points for exposing advertising matter on both faces thereof,y and automatic means for momentarily bringing the signs to rest at these points so that the advertising matter may be easily 'read by the observer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of signs having reading matter on both faces thereof and extended for rotation about a horizontal axis, means for elevating the rearmost sign in a horizontal position,l meansfor momentarily retaining the innermost sign at rest in this horizontal position so that the reading matter on one face of the same may be readily observed, said last named means being automatically returned to operative position for further feeding the same to a vertical position for exposing the other face of said sign, means for automatically releasing the other face of said sign, when vertically disposed for allowing the sign to remain in this position momentary so that the reading matter on said opposite face of the sign may be read, separate means for swinging the sign rearwardly in position to be engaged by the first named means, means operated by upward swinging motion of the rearmost sign for momentarily rendering the rearward swinging means inoperative for allowing the formost vertical sign to remain momentary at rest.

Still another object of the invention is to generally simplify an improved device of the above kind whereby a simple and durable construction is presented for advertising purposes at a minimum cost.

With the above general objects in view, and others that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the saine consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters throughout the severalk views Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the casing of/a display device constructed in accordance .with the present invention, with the mechanism thereof shown in side elevation,l f i indicate corresponding' parts' Figure 2 is a view in horizontal section 4 through the casingof the device shown in Fig. 1 with the mechanism shown in top plan, and Y i Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View illustrating details of the inl vention.

Referring more in detail to the several views, the linvention preferably embodies a suitable casing 5 having an opening 6 in the front wall thereof andan opening 7 in the top wall thereof engaged with the opening G, through which openings the signs are adapted to be displayed in ay mannerV which will presently become apparent'.

Suitably mounted within'the casing adjacent one side thereof is a motor Shaving a horizontal shaft 9 which projects towards the other side of the casing and has abevel gear upon the free end thereof as at 10 and which mesh with a further bevel gear 11 fixed upon the lower end of a vertical shaft 12 which has a bevelgear 13 upon its upper end in mesh with a bevel gear 14 fixed upon a horizontal shaft 15 suitably mounted above the shaft 9. The shafts 9 and 15 are sup-- ported in a frame 16 which also include a tion of the rod 17 and has a disc 20 fixed to the inner end thereof adjacent one side of the sign, and the inner face of the disc 2() is provided with a tube 21 that projects inwardly from the margin of the disc as shown lin Fig. 3. Slidably disposed within the tube 21 is a tubular catch element 22 which is normallyrpressed outwardly by means of va spring 23 arranged within the tube 21 and bearing against the inner end of the catchr 22. The tube 21 is provided with a longitudinal slot 24 through which projects a depending pin 25 fixed to the tubular catch 22, and this pin is arranged to engage the curved outer edge of a cam element 26 suitably mounted in the position shown in Fig. 1. at the inner side of the disc 20. The adjacent sides of the signs 18 have outwardly projecting lugs 27 onto which the latch element 22 isadapted to be slid by the spring 24 when the latch element is released from the cam.25. `It will be seen that the cam 26 is so positioned as to cause outward movement of the tubular latch 22 when the latter is disposed adjacent the depending signs, and the pins 25 will ride .off of this cam when the latch 22 is forced adjacent the rearmost sign so that the spring 24 will then be free to project` said catch onto the lug 27 of therearmost sign in order to enable this sign to be lifted upon rotation of the disc 20 without infiuencing the positions of the remaining signs. A ratchet wheel 28 is fixed upon the tubular shaft 19 outwardly of the disc 2O and is adapted to be actuated by a relatively long pawl 29 operatively associ ated withan eccentric 30 fixed upon the shaft 15 hence it will be observed that forward movement .of the pawl 29 causes partial rotation of the ratchet wheel 28 while rearward movement of.l the coil has no effect on said ratchet wheel. Meansisprovided for raising the pawl 29 to inoperative position when the rearmost sign vreaches horizontal` position beneath theopening7 so that` the sign will be at rest in thisposition for a vsufficient length of` time to enable an observer to read the matter thereon. This means embodies a cameleinent 31 mountedupon a shaft 32 which is carried by the frame` 16 at a point between the cain15 and the rod 17 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This camY elementfis rotated by means of a pawl 33 operated by an eccentric 34 on the shaft 1,5 and cooperating with a ratchet wheel 35 .fixed on the shaft Si?. it will be seen that when the raised portion of the cam element 31 passes the pawi 29, the latterwill automatically again lower by gravity and assume its .operative relation 'ith the ratchet wheel 28 for again continuing the rotation of the disc 2() to carry the signs further around until they assume a vertical suspended position rearwardly of the opening- 6 in the front of the casing.

At this point in the operation of the device, a sign will have reached a horizontal position beneath the opening so that the reading matter on the rear face thereof may be read, while another sign is rearwardly of the opening 6,for preventing observation of lthe reading matter on the front face of the same, the disc 20 being at rest at that time due to the pawlV 29vbeing held elevated by the. cam 31. l/Vhen thel pawl 29 is again returned to operative position, the vertical antesala foremost sign is carried rearwardly a slight distance until the cam 26 disengages the catch 22 from the lug 27 of said sign and means is then provided for feeding the sign rearwardly for a slight distance until the latch element 22 is in position to engage the lug 27 of the rearmost sign. rlhis means employing an endless belt 36 which passes around a relatively large wheel 37 fixed upon a shaft 38 which is mounted in the frame 16 beneath the signs 18, which end is provided with ratchet mechanism 38 which prevents movement ofthe shaft 38 but permits free rotation thereof toward the right of Fig. 1. The endless belt 36 also passes around a smaller wheel 39 fixed upon a point journaled in the frame 16 forwardly of the shaft 38, and the belt 36 is provided with a plurality of uniformly spaced outwardly projecting fingers 41 adapted to engage the lower ends of the signs 18 as shown in Fig. 1 for swinging them a slight distance rearwardly. rl`he shaft 38 is rotated by means of a pawl 42 operated by an eccentric 43 on the shaft 9 and engaging a. ratchet wheel 44 which is fixed on the shaft 38, it being noted that the pawl 42 turns the wheel 44 when moving rearwardly, but does not influence or turn said wheel when moving forwardly, thus causing the upper plate of the feeding device to move rearwardly as is necessary in swinging the signs rearwardly. Means is provided for mon'ientarily rendering the sign swinging means embodying the endless member 36 inoperative, and this means includes a lever 45 fixed upon a shaft 46 mounti ed in the frame 16 beneath the shaft 32 and having its forward end provided with an anti-friction roller 47 arranged in the path of the rearmost sign, the other end of said lever 45 being weightedv as at 48 so as to bring the arm at rest substantially in the position shown in Fig. 1. As shownin the latter figure, the catch 22 isengaged with the lug 27 of the rearmost sign and the disc 20 isrotated so as to swing this rearmost sign .upwardly to a horizontal position. lllhen this takes place, the forward end of the lever 45 is caused to swing upwardly so as to rotate the rock shaft 46. This moveinent of the rock shaft 46 is transmitted to a cam 49 fixed thereon and arranged beneath the pawl 42 so that said pawl is released frojni the ratchet wheel 44 and the foremost depending sign is allowed to remain stationary for a period of sufficient length to permit the reading matter thereon to be read through the front opening 6.

Means is provided` for holding the shaft 191against accidental rotation as the same is 'intermittently rotated bythe Pawl 29, and this means may consist-in a wheel 50 fixed on the tubular shaft 13 and having a scalloped or irregular edge or margin forming teeth spaced apart a distance equal to the spaces of the teeth on the ratchet wheel 28, which teeth are adapted to be engaged by an anti-friction element 51 carried by a spring pressed plunger 52 mounted on the frame 16, which plunger is normally urged towards the wheel 50 by means of the spring 53 as seen in F ig. 3. The motor 8 is placed into operation by turning the shaft 9 towards the right, and through the gearing described, the shaft 15 is rotated in an opposite direction the eccentrics actuate the pawls 29 and 42, thus causing movement of the disc 20 and endless member 36. The disc 20 carries the rearmost sign 18 upwardly, and in so doing causes the lever 45 to be swung so that the cam 49 releases the pawl 42 from the ratchet wheel 44, thus rendering the swinging means for the remaining signs inoperative, which swinging means embodies the endless member 36. Thus, the foremost depending sign is allowed to remain stationary so as to be viewed through the opening 6. The movement of the rearmost sign continues until this sign reaches a horizontal position beneath the opening 7 whereupon the cam element 31 raises the pawl 39 and allows the disc 2O to stop so that the sign is allowed to remain in this horizontal position for being viewed through the opening 7. It will be seen that the rotation of the cam element 31 continues until its raised portion passes the pawl 29, thereby allowing the latter to lower by gravity again for operative engagement with the ratchet wheel 28. It is noted that the rearmost sign in swinging upwardly as noted above, causes the same to pass the lever 45 so that the latter swings downwardly to permit the pawl 42 to engage with the ratchet wheel 44 so that the remaining signs are then swung rearwardly after sufficient time has elapsed for allowing the foremost sign to have been read through the opening 6. The rotation of the disc 2O is then continued so as to swing the sign from the position beneath the opening 27 around to a vertical position behind the opening 6. In doing this the pin 25 encounters the cam element 26 and is released or moved outwardly thereby so as to disengage the latch 22 froml this sign. The disc 2O then continues its rotation past the remaining depending sign until it again reaches the position shown in Fig. 1 wherein the pin 25 has ridden off of the cam elenient 26 and the latch 22 has again been projected to engage the lug 27 of the rearmost sign.

for suspending a plurality of signs for rotation about a horizontal axis, a plurality of signs suspended by said means and having laterally projecting lugs upon the adjacent sides thereof, a rotatable disc disposedy beside the signs outwardly of the lugs thereof and having a spring pressed tubular catch projecting towards the lugs in the path of the latter, means for rotating said disc, and a fixed cam arranged in the path of the tubular catch for moving the latter vout of the path of the lugs of all but the rearmost one of said signs, means at the lower edges of said signs for swinging all but the rearmost one of the same a slight distance rearwardly, and means automatically operated by the upper swinging movement of the rearmost sign for rendering said sign swinging means momentarily inoperative.

2. ln a changeable sign exhibitor, means for suspending a plurality of signs for rotation about a horizontal aXis, a plurality of signs suspended by said means and having laterally projecting lugs upon the adj acent sides thereof, a rotatable disc disposed beside the signs outwardly of the lugs thereof and having a spring pressed tubular catch projecting towards the lugs in the path of the latter, means for rotating said disc, and a` fixed cam arranged in the p-ath of the tubular catch for moving the latter out of the path of the lugs of all but the rearmost one of said signs, means at the lower edges of said signs for swinging all but: the rearmost one of the same a slight distance rearwardly, and means automatically operated by the upper swinging movement of the rearmost sign for rendering said sign swinging means momentarily inoperative, and means for automatically rendering the disc rotating means momentarily inopera.- tive upon arrival of the rearmost sign to a horizontal position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. fil

CLYDE A. HUGHES. 

